Yoga Poses That Are Safe For The Third Trimester Of Pregnancy

Hello beautiful Mama. Being in your third trimester of this magical journey of growing a wonderful soul inside, usually comes along with all kinds of physical and emotional changes. As you are more and more excited to meet the little wonder you have created, you probably also feel more and more restless, maybe even a bit stressed and worried.

As for your physical changes your skin is glowing and your hair is growing beautifully, but you might need to run to the bathroom every minute and walking might get more and more uncomfortable as you experience shortness of breath at the slightest of physical effort now.

Do not worry, there are a lot of yoga poses that are safe for the third trimester of pregnancy that will make you feel much better afterward.

Yoga during pregnancy can keep you flexible, and strengthen all the muscles that you have to use when your baby comes. It will calm your mind and make you feel more rejuvenated in these times of little or no sleep.

It is important to keep in mind though that you should always ask your doctor what exercises you are allowed to do during your pregnancy as every person is different. Also do not start a new sport in your pregnancy journey. Never over-exert yourself and be careful with the flexibility training as the body naturally becomes more flexible in pregnancy and you do not want to injure yourself by pulling a muscle in your pregnancy.

Always listen to your body when doing any kind of exercise. 

Table of Contents
Yoga Poses That Are Safe For The Third Trimester Of Pregnancy

7 Yoga Poses that are safe for the third trimester of Pregnancy

Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana)

This powerful Asana is great to practice during your pregnancy. Especially during the last trimester. It helps you to connect with your inner strong feminine energy. 

Goddess Pose is also known as the fiery angle pose, and for good reason. This Asana will definitely let you feel the burn, especially in the legs. 

Physical Effect on the Body

  • Heats up the body
  • Strengthens the leg muscles especially, the quadriceps and inner thighs
  • Stretches the hips and groin
  • Activates the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor.

Energetic Effects on the Body

  • Activates the first three chakras
  • Releases blockages in these Chakras
  • Improves Self Confidence 
  • Improves Concentration and focus
  • Reduces Stress

How to do Goddess Pose

  1. Start off in a wide-standing stance. Feet are turned out 45degrees. 
  2. Bend your knees so that your knees do not go passed your feet, meaning your bum should sink low and to the back.
  3. Activate your core, by pulling your belly button towards your spine and tucking your tailbone slightly under. 
  4. Keep your spine long.
  5. Spread your arms to the side, shoulder height, and bend your elbows 90 degrees, so that your fingers point to the sky. 
  6. Activate your back muscles and pull your shoulders back.
  7. Hold for 5-8 full breaths. 

Variations or Modifications of Goddess Pose for the Third Trimester

Woman in her third trimester of pregnancy doing a lateral side stretch in Goddess pose.
  1. Goddess Pose on chair: If you can’t hold your squat that long, place a chair underneath you to support this pose. However make sure to not just hang in your pose passively, but still activate the leg muscles as you would without the help of the chair.
  2. To connect with your baby, close your eyes (If you are confident in holding your balance!) Place your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your belly. Breathe deeply or hum a lullaby to your baby.
  3. To get a nice stretch of your upper side body, you can stretch the right arm overhead, the left elbow props up your left upper body on your left knee and you can bend to the left side to feel your right side open up. Repeat this on the other side. Do not let your shoulders sink in on the side where your elbow ‘rests’ on your knee.

Warrior Pose II (Virabhadrasana)

This pose has shown a great effect in easing off back pain during pregnancy.

Physical Effects on the Body

  • Stretches hips, groins, and shoulders
  • Strengthens legs, arms, and the core
  • Improves balance and stability
  • Opens your chest and lungs
  • Energizes
  • Stimulates abdominal organs

Energetic Effects on the Body

  • Builds stamina
  • Improves concentration and focus

How to do Warrior II

  1. Face the long side of your mat
  2. Walk your feet out as wide as it is comfortable for you
  3. Turn your right foot and knee to face the front of your yoga mat
  4. Turn your left foot in just slightly about 45 degrees.
  5. Bend your front knee so that it is directly over your ankle
  6. Lengthen your spine and pull the crown of your head upwards
  7. Reach both arms to either side of your mat
  8. Focus your gaze on your middle finger or past your fingertips.
  9. Hold for 5-8 deep breaths
  10. Engage the leg muscles all the time, also when exiting the pose
  11. Repeat on the other side

Variations or Modifications

  1. If your legs get too heavy during this pose in your third trimester, use a chair to prop yourself, by placing it underneath your front thigh. It is important to engage your leg muscles even though you use the chair to help you and not just hang in the pose.

Garland Pose or Yogi Squat (Malasana) 

Woman in her third trimester of pregnancy doing Malasana

Malasana is a great hip-opener pose to do during pregnancy and a great promoter of pelvic floor health. It also strengthens and stretches all the right muscles that help you during childbirth.

Physical Effects on the body

  • Strengthens the Pelvic Floor
  • Aids in a better digestion
  • Stretches the ankles, groins, and back
  • Tones the belly
  • Improves balance

Energetic Effects on the body

  • Improves concentration and focus

Caution!

Do not practice this pose if you have knee injuries.

Always work in your own range of mobility. 

How to do Garland Pose

  1. Begin on top of your mat in Mountain Pose.
  2. Step your feet as wide as your mat.
  3. Inhale lift your arms, engage your core
  4. Exhale and lower your arms into a forward fold
  5. Inhale lengthen your back into half forward fold
  6. Exhale, and sit down into your deep yogi squat, if your heels lift support them with a rolled-up blanket.
  7. Engage your core and slowly bring your hands into prayer position whilst your elbows press into your knees and vice versa.
  8. Lengthen your spine and take 5-8 deep breaths.
  9. To come out of the pose, drop your hands on the floor and slowly make your way back into standing forward fold and back into mountain pose.

Variations and Modifications of Malasana for the Third Trimester

  1. Support your Yogi Squat, by sitting on a Yoga Block. Depending on your level of mobility you can choose which side you want to place your block under your bum, tall, medium, or low. Even though you sit on your block, it is important to activate the muscles and not just hang in the pose passively.
  2. If you can’t place your heels on the mat, lift them and support them with a rolled-up blanket.
  3. If you have trouble balancing in this pose, put your hands on the floor.

Cat and Cow (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana) 

The Cat and Cow Pose are two separate poses that are often combined to mobilize your back and reduce any tension in your spine. Together they also massage and activate the internal organs. 

Physical Effects on the Body of Cat Pose

  • Stretches the neck 
  • Stretches the back

Physical Effects on the Body of Cow Pose

  • Stretches the chest 
  • Stretches the torso

How to do the Cat and Cow Flow

  1. Start by kneeling on your mat
  2. Carefully come into tabletop position, Hands are directly underneath your shoulders, and your knees directly underneath your hips
  3. Engage your core muscles and elongate your spine.
  4. Take a deep breath in, as you exhale round your spine, pull your navel in and tuck in your tailbone.
  5. Inhale deeply to come into cow position as you gently drop your belly towards the mat and lift your gaze, chest aswell as your tailbone.
  6. Imagine separating your sit bones in cow pose and drawing them closer in cat pose.
  7. Repeat this movement 5-10 times going with your breath.

Variations or Modifications of Cat-Cow in the Third Trimester

  1. If your wrists hurt, you can practice this flow on your forearms
  2. If you have knee pain, place a blanket or towel underneath your knees.
  3. Be gentle with the movements, only go as far as it is comfortable for you and your belly

Bound Angle Pose or Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

The Butterfly Pose is yet another amazing hip opener, which is what makes it a great pose to practice during pregnancy.

Physical Effects on the Body

  • Stretches inner thigh muscles
  • Strengthens the core
  • Improves your posture
  • Stretches the groins
  • Stretches the quadriceps
  • Stimulates the reproductive, nervous, and respiratory systems.
  • Reduces heartburn

Energetic Effects on the Body

  • Activates the lower two chakras
  • Improves connection to your partner
  • A good pose to meditate.

How to do Bound Angle Pose

  1. Start in an upright seated position.
  2. Bring the soles of your feet together and drop your knees to the outside.
  3. Interlace your fingers around your toes and gently pull your feet closer to you.
  4. Inhale lengthen your spine, engage your core, avoid rounding your lumbar spine too much, but also avoid pulling yourself into a hollow back.
  5. Gently press your knees towards the floor as far as it is comfortable.
  6. Take 5-8 deep breaths.

Variations or Modifications of Bound Angle Pose in the Third Trimester

  1. Let your knees spring up and down gently whilst keeping your core active
  2. To modify this pose you can sit on a meditation cushion or a yoga block.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

Woman in her third trimester of pregnancy doing bridge pose

A pose that acts as an energizer or as a rejuvenator must be added to your pregnancy workout plan, don’t you think?

Physical Effects on the Body

  • Strengthens back, legs, glutes, and ankles 
  • Stretches the front of the body, chest, and hip flexors
  • Improves digestion

Energetic Effects on the Body

  • Rejuvenates the body
  • Cools the body
  • Calms the mind
  • Reduces stress

How to do Bridge Pose

  1. Lie on your back
  2. Bend your knees and put both feet flat on the floor hip-width apart and in such a way that you can touch your ankles with your fingertips.
  3. Press the feet and lower back into the mat. Engage your core by pulling your belly button in and up. Inhale.
  4. Exhale and roll your spine up into bridge pose. Activate your glutes and legs to prevent your knees to tip to the outside or to the inside.
  5. Press down into your arms and shoulders.
  6. Activate your glutes.
  7. Engage your Mula Bandha.
  8. Hold for 5-8 breaths.
  9. Inhale and gently roll your spine back onto the mat.

Variations and Modifications of Bridge Pose for the Third Trimester

  1. To make bridge pose a fiery exercise you can lift your hips by exhaling and lower your bum by inhaling. 
  2. To use this pose as a cool down you can place a block underneath your bum and just relax in this inversion.

Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Another great inversion to practice in your third trimester is the Legs Up The Wall Pose. The main benefit here is to simply relax. It is also a great pose to reduce anxiety.

Physical Effects on the Body

  • Tension relief in the neck
  • Knee pain reduction
  • Relieves leg and feet cramps
  • Alleviates tired legs
  • Reduces swollen legs
  • Helps with low blood pressure, but also lowers high blood pressure
  • Softly stretches the hamstrings
  • Reduces back pain
  • Reduces Headaches

Energetic Effects on the Body

  • Deep relaxation
  • Stress relief
  • Reduces anxiety

How to do Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose

  1. Sit in front of a wall
  2. Gently lie down on your back and put your feet against the wall
  3. Wiggle yourself to the wall so that your sit bones touch the wall
  4. Prevent falling into a hollow back by engaging your core 
  5. Relax your muscles and put your hands on your belly or on the floor 
  6. Stay here as long as it is comfortable for you
  7. Take in deep breaths, and with each exhale try to relax your body even more

Caution!

Ask your doctor if you may lie on your back. If it is uncomfortable or if you do feel dizzy lying on your back do not practice this pose, rather try some of the modifications or just relax in a modified Savasana by lying on your left side, with a pillow between your knees.

Variations or Modifications of Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose in the Third Trimester

  1. Prop yourself up with a big pillow so that your torso is elevated slightly, then try to lift your legs up the wall, your sit bones may not touch the wall in this position. Place your hands on your belly. Just stay here if it is comfortable doing so.
  2. You can also instead of the wall lift your legs just slightly. Either by lying them on a chair or a bigger pillow. This might feel better when you have propped your torso up already.
  3. If all of these Modifications still feel uncomfortable or your doctor advised you to avoid lying flat on your back, relax on your side.

To end off your Yoga practice you can relax in a modified Savasana. Either by propping your torso up so you don’t lie flat on your back or by lying on your left side with a pillow between your legs and under your head.

All of these Poses should make you feel more relaxed and release some of the tension that builds up during pregnancy, both mental and physical.

It is also a great way to stay active, and build strength, flexibility, and also confidence that you need for labor and also once your little bundle of joy enters this world.

FAQ

Is it safe to do yoga in the third trimester?

There are many great Yoga poses that can be very beneficial in your pregnancy if practiced correctly. You might want or need to modify the poses when you are in your third trimester though.

Always get the green light from your doctor before practicing any sports or exercises during your pregnancy.

Can I do Vinyasa Yoga in the third trimester?

With your doctors, approval Vinyasa can be practiced throughout your pregnancy, during your third trimester however you should avoid some poses like deep backbends and you might need to modify certain asanas. 

What poses should be avoided during the third trimester?

  • Intense backbends
  • Poses where you need to lie on your belly
  • Intense twists
  • Poses that involve forceful contractions or engagement of your abdominal muscles
  • Poses that put a lot of pressure on your belly
  • Inversions or balancing poses
  • Poses that could lead to a diastasis recti